Sir, Parents and communities striving to keep their primary school open deserve courtesy and co-operation from council officials. The campaign group working to ensure the future of Tanshall Primary School in Glenrothes don’t seem to have got it (Thursday’s Courier).
Congratulations to Euan Howells, spokesman for Community Help at Tanshall, for putting a series of relevant questions about the proposed closure of the school to the Glenrothes Area Committee. Shame on Fife Council for being unable to answer many of his queries. It is another setback for any claim the authority makes about meaningful consultation and participation.
At many council committees, the number of officials present is almost the same as the number of elected members (who are supposed to make the decisions). Yet, often, they don’t seem able to come up with information the public really wants.
If there is a case for the closure of Tanshall Primary School, it ought to be made on the basis of well-researched information. This is one of the least well-off communities in Glenrothes but it is one that has seen some marked improvements in its environment in recent years.
Fife Council should be looking to see how the school can be become a community focus. Instead, it is creating unnecessary bad will by blocking tactics that will impress no one.
Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.
Generating electricity and creating jobs
Sir, I write to offer clarification on references made in Wednesday’s Letters regarding the output and efficiency of wind turbines and the carbon dioxide emissions savings made by renewables.
Renewables are the second-biggest generator of electricity in Scotland producing more power than coal or gas plants according to figures from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
Of this renewable generation, by far the largest proportion is by onshore wind power. In 2012 in Scotland, renewables produced more than 14,600 gigawatt hours of electricity, with more than half coming from onshore wind, which contributes the equivalent of around 22 per cent of our electricity needs.
While output from windfarms is variable, it is important to look at the average load factor, which between 2000 and 2011 in Scotland was 28.1 per cent.
The UK Government estimated that in 2011 renewable electricity generation in Scotland displaced over 8.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to some 15 per cent of Scotland’s total carbon emissions, with onshore wind making up the largest percentage of this.
Current data also indicate the renewable energy sector in Scotland employs more than 11,000 people.
Joss Blamire. Senior policy manager, Scottish Renewables, 46 Bath Street, Glasgow.
Boiling about ‘dishonesty’
Sir, Regarding the biomass debate, I write to expose what I consider to be the dishonesty of the Government regarding regional heatincentive (RHT) payments.
My wife and I looked at the available options before deciding on a biomass boiler for our house. This was installed in November 2011 but the RHI payments have not materialised. When we contacted the Energy Saving Trust in November 2012, they said the payments were “beingconsidered”.
Last month they said (they would be made in) summer 2013 but we now discover payments have been put off for another year.
We changed our heating system in good faith but have been badly let down.
W. J. Mitchell. 8 Affleck Gardens, Monikie, Angus.
What about road humps?
Sir, Concerning Don Henderson’s partly tongue in cheek letter on Wednesday regarding potholes and “whole-body vibrations”, there is the other hazard of road humps deliberately put in place by the council. Most householders have to negotiate road humps in their estates (I have to suffer 26 whole-body vibrations just to get to and from the main road) and the workers carrying out bin collection services will have to negotiate the same road bumps.
If the council is really serious about the health of their workforce in relation to whole-body vibrations, rather than just cutting services, they should either ensure all households take their bins to the nearest main road or remove all the road humps. Unlike Mr Henderson, I am not joking.
David S Saunders. 235 Muirfield Drive, Glenrothes.
Fairytales, facts and Dr Who
Sir, I refer to Alan Hinnrichs’ letter of April 29. As Israel wasn’t referred to as “Palastina” until 130 AD and the area was Caananite before Israelite, where do the Palestinian goatheards come from? Did Dr Who slip a few folk into the Tardis and take them back in time? An Arab “Palestine” is as much a fairytale as Dr Who, so who knows?
Alexandra Oon. Bridieswell Gardens, Gauldry.